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Obama on the Defensive Before Fla. Jewish Voters
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ShareMay 22, 2008 8:01 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., faced a barrage of questions from Jewish voters in Boca Raton, Fla., about his relationship with some who are anti-Israel, his name and his own personal commitment to Israel.
Obama, with an American flag pin on his lapel, made brief opening remarks aimed at assuring the group of his support of Israel –- reminding the voters that he will not sit down with Hamas, and of his goal to eliminate the threat of Iran. Obama told the crowd in the B’Nai Tora synagogue that his commitment to Israel is “unshakeable.”
“I know there’s a lot of rumor mongering going around. People have been getting e-mails non stop,” Obama said before taking questions at the town hall-style meeting.
Obama was referencing a swirl of e-mails saying incorrectly that he is a Muslim that have plagued him throughout the course of his campaign.
Obama’s preemption did not seem to help his case. The first questioner told of his friend who would vote Obama only he changed his name to “Barry.”
Obama said he used to go by “Barry” but then as he got older he thought it was important to acknowledge the other side of his heritage. Obama said that going by his real name caused some people to think he was Muslim.
“I think people shouldn’t worry about the name because my understanding is in Hebrew it actually means lightning," he said. "You’ve had a prime minister named Barack in Israel. It should be pretty familiar to this audience."
Obama explained that his Kenyan father was “basically agnostic” and said not believe the rumors that are being spread about the connections to his name.
Obama met a particularly fierce questioner who asked him about his relationship with Rashid Khalidi, a Middle East scholar at Columbia University, and asked for an example of one close Jewish friend who has influenced his thinking.
The voter’s direct and stern questioning of the senator elicited boos from the crowd -– with some attempting to drown out the man’s line of questioning.
Obama listed a few friends and campaign aides who are Jewish -- Penny Pritzker, James Crows and Les Rosenburg -- and responded to the Khalidi connection.
“You mentioned Rashid Khalidi, who’s a professor at Columbia," Obama said. "I do know him because I taught at the University of Chicago. And he is Palestinian. And I do know him and I have had conversations. He is not one of my advisors; he’s not one of my foreign policy people. His kids went to the Lab school where my kids go as well. He is a respected scholar, although he vehemently disagrees with a lot of Israel’s policy.”
But then Obama pushed back, launching a broader defense of his associations, while acknowledging that some past relationships have caused people in the Jewish community concerns.
“To pluck out one person who I know and who I’ve had a conversation with who has very different views than 900 of my friends and then to suggest that somehow that shows that maybe I’m not sufficiently pro-Israel, I think, is a very problematic stand to take," he said. "So we gotta be careful about guilt by association.”
Obama said that members of the U.S. Congress have expressed anti-black sentiments but they are still his friends and it doesn't mean that he avoids dealing with them.
During his closing remarks, Obama launched his fiercest defense of the rumors about his background and heritage, and the e-mail campaign that has targeted him during the course of the campaign –- making the one last case to Jewish voters that he is pro-Israel.
“If you get one of these e-mails that says I’m a Muslim -- not true, never been a Muslim -- this is just stuff that is designed to make people suspicious," Obama said. “There is not a single trace of me being anything more than a friend of Israel and a friend of the Jewish people. ... And so I would just ask --because this is part of, I think, the tradition of the Jewish people -- is to judge me by what I say and what I’ve done, don’t judge me because I’ve got a funny name, don’t judge me because I’m African American and, you know, people are concerned about sort of memories of the past. I mean, I was reading the New York Times article today and it was troubling -- because it’s exactly what I am fighting in the African American community when I hear anti-Semitic statements.”
May 22, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (159)
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In the last two years, Barack has been in Washington for only a few months, and in that short time he's already s heard racist comments?
Hmmm....
Posted by: kissthesky | May 22, 2008 9:21:17 PM
What's wrong with being muslim? This is a kind of bigotry that we're legitimizing in this country. I am an Obama supporter, but I don't think he should be defensive. Sure he's not Muslim, but what if he were? How does that make him any less American than those Jews who don't support him? He comes from a family that has been in America far longer than most Jewish people in this country. Having said that, many of my closest friends are Jewish.
Posted by: elizabeth | May 22, 2008 9:23:23 PM
luke posted:
"Don't let the corporate fat cat liars destroy our best hope for change and unity. Hate, fear, and ignorance will just destroy us."
This is true! Don't let George Soros manipulate our elections!! He is bankrolling Obama.
HILLARY 08
and if not the nominee
MCCAIN 08
Posted by: Typical White Person | May 22, 2008 9:24:05 PM
From now on, he is all defensive because his words will serve like shoes; his words coming out of his mouth will be shoes in this mouth.
He is just terribly out of his league. The liberals are making a fool of Americans. Taking off his shirt does not mean he understands the working class and be one of them. He is surrounded by elites and did not embrace American values.
OUT OF the league and out of TOUCH
Posted by: John_Lai | May 22, 2008 9:27:14 PM
OBAMA, the GREAT DIVIDER!
NEVER, have I seen so many questions asked about the viability of one's candidacy as I have witnessed with this man called Barack Obama.
His campaign has been all about answering the misgivings people have about him, NOT about real issues and solutions. Should this not be a cause for concern?
When have we doubted a man so much, as to his affiliations, his religion, his credentials, his political will or his moral compass? He evokes extreme emotions... he is either adored or vilified.
Something is not right. Where there's smoke, there's fire!
Posted by: Justice | May 22, 2008 9:27:34 PM
The latest polls show that 61% of Jews support Obama. I have no idea why, but this is why stereotyping the feelings of any particular group are silly.
Posted by: ddl | May 22, 2008 9:29:56 PM
He talks and talks and talks but never really says anything. Arrogant, eletist, untruthful, and flip flops on issues. He is a sexist by calling Hillary Clinton Annie Oakley. Racist by saying "typical white person". Wears flag pin now trying to convince voters he is patriotic. Very transparent. Not seasoned to become President of the United States of America. Divider of the races not a uniter.
Posted by: C Good | May 22, 2008 9:30:32 PM
He is going to screw up the economy, raise tax and cause US to stumble in world politics.
He is not measured up with world leaders. A rookie that show no administration experience. He has never been adminsitrator of any sort; just an academic with toss-ups that lead to global disasters.
Posted by: John_Lai | May 22, 2008 9:32:04 PM
Three billion a year to Israel? The U.S. is now turning over three billion a week to Saudi Arabia for oil.
Posted by: bedy | May 22, 2008 9:46:57 PM
I hope Obama picks Sebelius as a veep. Sebelius has demonstrated that she can reach out to Republicans. She gets Democrats and Republicans actually WORKING TOGETHER, WORKING FOR US -- without patronizing, pacifying or pandering.
She's also big on education.
One of the reasons I'm proud of my country (finally!) is that the educated vote is getting heard this time! That is not to put down anybody that didn't go to college or finish grade school. Many intelligent people didn't -- couldn't.
But over the last 16 years, I have grown so tired of hearing how stupid the Americans are. We went from superstars that invented and explored to being stereotyped as the lazy, spoiled and wasteful Americans.
We are not a stupid people, yet we continue to allow the uneducated Hillary and Bush supporters to pick our leaders. This makes no sense! They get voted in and then policies are centered around their needs (cool) and their needs only (not cool).
That is like giving a pacifier to a baby, then wondering why the baby doesn't grow. The baby doesn't get any nourishment, but the pacifier stops the crying temporarily. The person giving the pacifier gets to feel like they soothed someone in need.
This time around, let's make sure our babies get nourishment -- affordable education, good jobs (that currently get outsourced to the "educated" foreigners), decent homes, clean air and a view of the world that isn't divided into little irrelevant boxes.
Maybe if we raise a doctor, a lawyer, and a scientist in every family, healthcare won't cost so much.
United we stand and you know the rest.
It is time for change!
Obama/Sebelius '08!
Posted by: Yes We Can! | May 22, 2008 9:50:51 PM
Again, the specter of his so-called pastor Wright is coming up as a reason NOT to vote for BHO. Wright is a racist who has spouted his anti-Semitism. Wright's friendship with Louis Farrahkan and Wright's leadership of his so-called church where BHO had been a member for 20 years is reason enough for me to suspect BHO.
Posted by: Frustrated Voter | May 22, 2008 9:54:40 PM
RelevantIssue you telling the truth. I agree
Posted by: Laron | May 22, 2008 9:55:40 PM
I'd like to see any of the other candidates in this race speak so thoughfully of their feelings for the Jewish people and their understanding of the tradition of justice in Zionism. Barack Obama is the president we need at this time.
Posted by: Diane | May 22, 2008 9:55:56 PM
Obama thinks he can win without Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky. He wants to disenfranchise Florida especially.
======================================Obama for Bonehead-in-Chief.
======================================
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | May 22, 2008 9:59:28 PM
How do you all know he rejected Islam? Just because he sits in Trinity church he has rejected Islam?
Rev Wright is a very educated man do you all feel that Wright is not verse in Koranic studies, have any of you noticed how well he pronounce his Arabic words,
Stop trying to explain way stuff that some of you may never understand, its convenient to pretend that Obama has no Muslim connection because you guys want him to win, he may well do that but the fact of the matter is that he has Muslim roots weather some of you want to admit or not, but for political expediency it is being hidden, or not talked about.
Posted by: SJ | May 22, 2008 10:00:38 PM
SJ- You basing that he's a muslim on the connection, What do you mean The way Rev. Wright pronounces a word, so that means he's connected to some big conspiracy, you just want to find something on him cause you want some other idiot to be president.Stop trying to make a terrorist out of Obama because you want him to
Posted by: Laron | May 22, 2008 10:05:02 PM
The guy is much too oleaginous, unctuous, by half. Any time he miscues verbally,(which is often), he subsequently 'elaborates' on the issue which, invariably, means a 180 degree turn or an unconvincing deflection of the issue (e.g. I slept every Sunday in church for 20 yrs). I've been in academic life for ~40 yrs and I can spot a liar at a pretty great distance, (with ease). This guy does not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. There are things about him that make me recoil. I disagree with McCain on a bunch of things but, along with millions of others, I'm going to play it safe and give him my vote. I have never voted Republican but,I think the Democratic establishment, with its lack of enhandedness with Hillary (and its cockeyed departure from a winner-takes-all paradigm), is going to get the lousy candidate it deserves and going to lose my vote for all time. Oh yeah, and I also find his speeches repetitive, boring, lacking in content and, quite frankly, uninspiring.
Posted by: Marty | May 22, 2008 10:05:23 PM
I gthink people are trying to mke this election about racial divisions and to me that is wrong. I am concerned with the good of the human race and I believe Barack Obama will do a good job of supporting Israel, America and the rest of the world.
Posted by: Lou | May 22, 2008 10:05:48 PM
Mr. Sen. Obama, you're really good actor.
Sen McCain-08
Posted by: chris | May 22, 2008 10:06:20 PM
The question of if he would change his name was spot on, and Obama knew what that person was asking.
If he so did not want to be aligned to anything Muslim why drop the name Barry and adopt using the name Barack which is Arabic, Barak different spelling is Hebrew.
Posted by: SJ | May 22, 2008 10:06:55 PM
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